Automatic sprayer

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for emitting an aromatic substance into the surrounding environment which utilizes a pivoted arm carrying a mass as an actuator for an aerosol container containing the aromatic substance and an electronic circuit for maintaining the arm in a position to continue actuation of the aerosol container for a predetermined period of time. In a preferred form, the electronic circuit is such that the arm is controlled to lie in the position maintaining the aerosol container actuated as a function of the elapsed time between succeeding emissions of the aromatic substance.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for automatically and controllably emitting an aromatic substance into the surrounding environment from a container containing the substance and having an actuator for emitting the substance comprising: a support for attachment to a movable member,   an arm pivotally carried by said support for movement about a generally horizontal axis,   a stop carried by said arm on one side of its pivotal axis and located opposite the actuator of the container containing the substance,   means for mounting said container on said support,   a mass carried by said arm on the other side of said pivotal axis and responsive to movement of the member to which the support is attached to pivot said arm from a first, inoperative position to a second operative position that causes said stop to actuate the actuator and emit aromatic substance into the surrounding environment,   means carried by said support including an electrical circuit for retaining said arm in said second position to enable continuous actuation of the actuator and emission of the aromatic substance into the surrounding environment over a predetermined period of time and for permitting said arm to return to said first position after said predetermined period of time.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with said container in which said container comprises an aerosol can and the actuator is a pushbutton valve carried by said container. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the emission of the aromatic substance is repeatable in time, and means are provided for controlling the period of time said arm lies in said second operative position as a function of the elapsed time between one or more previous emissions of the aromatic substance to control the amount of aromatic substance emitted during the succeeding actuation of the container. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit includes an electromagnet carried by one of said arm and said support and a stop formed of magnetic material carried by the other of said arm and said stop, and a switching circuit electrically coupled to said electromagnet for energizing the electromagnet to hold said arm in said second position for said predetermined period of time and for deenergizing said electromagnet to enable the arm to move toward said first position at the end of said predetermined time. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said switching circuit includes an element having an exponential time constant. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said electrical circuit includes a motion responsive switch for activating said switching circuit. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said electrical circuit comprises first circuit means responsive to said motion responsive switch for activating said switching circuit. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said electrical circuit further includes second circuit means responsive to initial operation of said first circuit means for maintaining operation of said first circuit means beyond said initial operation of said first circuit means. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said second circuit means comprises an RC timing network to control the duration of operation of said first circuit means beyond said initial operation. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit comprises a power source, a motion sensitive switch, a first transistor, a second transistor and an RC network, and circuit means for completing a current path from said power source to said actuator through said first transistor upon actuation of said motion sensitive switch and means for maintaining said current path upon deactivation of said motion sensitive switch by shunting said motion sensitive switch with said second transistor for a period of time established by said RC network.